sighting
Britishnoun
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an occasion on which something is seen
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Another name for sight
Explanation
A sighting is an instance of discovering or observing something. You might use your telescope to watch the night sky for hours in the hope of a UFO sighting. Your friend, an avid birdwatcher, gets excited at every woodpecker or heron sighting he makes, while you're more interested in sightings of used bookstores. A sighting of your favorite pop star — a quick glimpse as she ducks into a limousine — might be thrilling for you and your friend! Sighting, "an instance of catching sight," dates from the mid-19th century.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And while the report said the unnamed person making the report was “fairly reliable” due to his association with “military jet aircraft activities,” local astronomers said that Jupiter could possibly explain the sighting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
On Sunday, Environment Minister Joao Paulo Capobianco flew over the affected areas, sighting hundreds of fires in the middle of the protected forest.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Lloyd Nelmes from Sea Trust said the sighting was "unusual for someone who works in the field... who probably has their eyes on the water every day", adding, "for a normal person, it's insanely rare".
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Three days later, lifeguards received reports of another sea turtle sighting just south of the Huntington Beach Pier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Too sad to report the sighting to his coworkers, old men like himself no longer able to cut all day.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
